Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions?
Learning complex concepts is necessary for student success, but it is often challenging. Learning such concepts can be influenced by students’ study order choices during learning to switch to a new category (interleaved study order) or stay within the same category (blocked study order). Students of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Intelligence |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/10/4/122 |
| _version_ | 1797456940295520256 |
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| author | Addison L. Babineau Amber E. Witherby Robert Ariel Michael A. Pelch Sarah K. Tauber |
| author_facet | Addison L. Babineau Amber E. Witherby Robert Ariel Michael A. Pelch Sarah K. Tauber |
| author_sort | Addison L. Babineau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Learning complex concepts is necessary for student success, but it is often challenging. Learning such concepts can be influenced by students’ study order choices during learning to switch to a new category (interleaved study order) or stay within the same category (blocked study order). Students often prefer stay decisions during learning and make relatively few switch decisions; however, an open question is whether students’ switch decisions are related to their level of prior knowledge in the domain and the learning strategy they use (retrieval practice versus study). To examine these relationships, we recruited undergraduate students from an introductory geology course. Prior to the course modules on rock classification, students self-rated their knowledge, took a prior knowledge test, classified rock exemplars by completing study or retrieval practice trials, and made study order choices. Students then completed assignments and attended lectures in their geology course on igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Next, students self-rated their knowledge, took a new prior knowledge test, completed study or retrieval practice trials, made study order decisions, took final classification tests, and self-reported beliefs about study order choices. Even though students’ knowledge increased after course modules on rock identification, and most students believed that domain knowledge impacts study decisions, prior knowledge did not predict students’ switch decisions. In contrast, students who completed retrieval practice trials made substantially more switch decisions (i.e., interleaved study) than did students who completed study trials. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:15:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9424b669cb964a5c9997c5494bd4fd6b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-3200 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:15:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Intelligence |
| spelling | doaj.art-9424b669cb964a5c9997c5494bd4fd6b2023-11-24T15:53:12ZengMDPI AGJournal of Intelligence2079-32002022-12-0110412210.3390/jintelligence10040122Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions?Addison L. Babineau0Amber E. Witherby1Robert Ariel2Michael A. Pelch3Sarah K. Tauber4Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USADepartment of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USADepartment of Psychology, Virginia Wesleyan University, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, USASchool of Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USADepartment of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USALearning complex concepts is necessary for student success, but it is often challenging. Learning such concepts can be influenced by students’ study order choices during learning to switch to a new category (interleaved study order) or stay within the same category (blocked study order). Students often prefer stay decisions during learning and make relatively few switch decisions; however, an open question is whether students’ switch decisions are related to their level of prior knowledge in the domain and the learning strategy they use (retrieval practice versus study). To examine these relationships, we recruited undergraduate students from an introductory geology course. Prior to the course modules on rock classification, students self-rated their knowledge, took a prior knowledge test, classified rock exemplars by completing study or retrieval practice trials, and made study order choices. Students then completed assignments and attended lectures in their geology course on igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Next, students self-rated their knowledge, took a new prior knowledge test, completed study or retrieval practice trials, made study order decisions, took final classification tests, and self-reported beliefs about study order choices. Even though students’ knowledge increased after course modules on rock identification, and most students believed that domain knowledge impacts study decisions, prior knowledge did not predict students’ switch decisions. In contrast, students who completed retrieval practice trials made substantially more switch decisions (i.e., interleaved study) than did students who completed study trials.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/10/4/122study order decisionsinterleaved vs. blocked studyprior knowledgeretrieval practice |
| spellingShingle | Addison L. Babineau Amber E. Witherby Robert Ariel Michael A. Pelch Sarah K. Tauber Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions? Journal of Intelligence study order decisions interleaved vs. blocked study prior knowledge retrieval practice |
| title | Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions? |
| title_full | Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions? |
| title_fullStr | Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions? |
| title_short | Do Domain Knowledge and Retrieval Practice Predict Students’ Study Order Decisions? |
| title_sort | do domain knowledge and retrieval practice predict students study order decisions |
| topic | study order decisions interleaved vs. blocked study prior knowledge retrieval practice |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/10/4/122 |
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